October 17, 2023
By BARTON HENLEY
Rutherford County Schools
Homer Pittard Campus School music teacher Stacy Ray and physical education teacher Erin Powers saw their students have a need that they could meet.
Due to the perfect scheduling change in 2018, the two were able to begin teaching together each Friday.
“When the schedule change happened, Erin and I looked for some curriculum to help us appeal to our students but there was nothing out there that included both music and physical education,” said Ray. “Now we have created over 30 lesson plans to fit what we needed.”
As they rolled out their revamped lesson plans, one thing became evident.
“We noticed quickly that some students didn’t love music as much as sports, but when we combined them, we saw instant buy-in,” said Powers.
Powers and Ray both say they have seen incredible growth in their students since this started.
They two use culturally relevant music to appeal to their students while incorporating active games, contests and drills to keep their classes students moving.
“Kinesthetic connection is so big in my class,” said Ray. “For our students who need something in their hands to focus, this has been a huge hit with them.”
Schools around the nation have caught wind of what Powers and Ray have created.
“We’ve spoken at multiple conferences with educators sharing our ideas,” said Ray. “We’ve been approached by many teachers asking for ideas to help their students focus. It’s been really cool and rewarding.”
Both teachers credit the school’s leadership with making music and movement a priority.
“We are so thankful for our administration here at Campus School,” said Powers. “There is structured time for us to have this time each week, and they really support what we are doing.”